Slicing machine



Oct. 16, 1928.

J. C. TROUVALIS SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1928 -lllirllk lum? 'of the body,

Patented 0a. 1e, 192s.

UNITED STATES J'QHN C. TBOUVALIS, 0F PORTLAND, MAINE.

SLICIN G MACHINE.

Application filed.v February 15, .1928A Serial No. 254,378.

This invention relates to a slicing machine including means for supporting, feeding, and guiding a body of material., means for cuttlllo' slices, one at a time, from the advancing end and means for varying the'feed of the body to vary the thickness of the cut slices.

The general object of the invention is to provide a simple and durable machine adapted to quickly and conveniently cut slices of. any desired thickness, from a brick-shaped body of cheese or butter, and to be readily maintained in a clean and sanitary conditlon.

Other related objects will hereinafter apear. P Of ,the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciicatioin- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a slicing machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is an end view. I

Figures 4 and 5 are fragmentary views similar to portions of Figure 3, illustrating the operation of varying the feed movement of the body and the thickness ofslices cut therefrom.

Figure 6 shows in perspective, the two armed lever and shield shown by Figures 3, 4 and 5.

Figure 7 is a ure l.

The same reference characters Indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

The oblong base 12 of the machine has suportng legs 13, and a flat horizontal todp. Fixed to and projecting from-one longitu inal edge of the base are spaced apart bearings 14, in which inner and outer journals 15 and 16, constituting portions of an elongated shaft, are rotatable. The intermediate portion 17 of the shaft has a helical oove 18, and constitutes a feed screw whic is otatable without endwise movement:

Fixed to the outer journal 16 is a circular ratchet 19.whose toothed periphery 1s concentric with the shaft.

20 designates a presser which is perpendicu1ar`to the base and slidable thereon, and is section on line 7-7 of Figprovided with a curved `arm 21, including a,

nut en aged with the feed screw, said nut being ormed, ,in this instance, by a sleeve portion 22 of the arm, loosely surrounding the feed screw and a stud 23 inserted in .the sleeve portion and lengaging the helical groove 18.

The slicing means of the machine Includes a cutter-carrying lever 24, having an end portion pivoted on the outer journal 16, and a free end portion provided with a handle 25,' and a cutter 26, extending between said end portions, the cutter being preferably a length. of wire xedat 27 (Figure 4) to the pivoted end portion, and at 28 (Figure 3) to the free end portion. The intermediate portion of the lever has the angular or arched form shown by Figure 3, and is formed to bridge a body, such as a brick of cheese or butter, on the base. The lever and cutter are arranged to; swing in a vertical plane, across one end of the base, and cause the cutter to cut a slice from a portion of the body projected from the base.

29 designates a pawl, pivoted at 30 to the inner end portion of the lever 24, and movable thereby in a. curved path, to partly rotate the rachet and feed screw when the lever is swung in a cutting direction, indicated by the arrow ,X in Figure 4, the pawl being normally held in engaginent with the rachet 19, by a spring 31,'. and separable therefrom as next describe The machine includes manually adjustable mechanism including 4means for re easably confining the pawlin engagement with the ratchet, and varying the operative engagement of t-he pawl therewith, to vary the elitent of the partial rotation' ofthe ratchet and feed screw, and the thickness' of the cut slice.

Said mechanism is preferably organized as next described 32 designates a two-armed oscillatory lever, mounted to oscillate on the outer journal 16, and rovided on one arm with an arcuate tripping shield 33, which is concentric with a portion of theperiphery of the ratchet .19. One end 34 of the shield is bevelled and adapted to cooperate with a tail piece 35, formed on the 'pawl 29, in tripping the pawl and disengaging it from the ratchet, as shown by Figure 5.

One end of a latch bar 37 is pivoted at 36 to the other arm of the lever 32. The oposite end of the latch bar is provided with a row of notches 38, either of which is engageable with a detent 39, fixed to the base. .Said detent and notches are ada ted to confine the latch bar in different longitudinal positions, and thereby vary the position of the shield 33, relative to the path of the pawl 29.

When the lever 24 is moved to the retracted position shown by Figure 4, and-the outer notch 38 is engaged with the detent 33, as shown by Figure 3, the pawl and its tail piece 35 are at a maximum distance from the shield 33. When the lever is swung in a cutting direction, indicated by arrowv X, the pawl remains in engagement with the ratch et until the tail piece 35 strikes the shield, the pawl being then disengaged from the ratchet, as shown by Figure 5, the cutter being out of contact with a body on the base, so that the body stops before the cutter commences to cut, the body being now fed or projected to a maximum extent. When the inner notch 38 of the latch bar is engaged with the detent 39, the oscillatory lever 32 ismoved to the dotted line positlon shown by Figure 4, so that the shieldis at a minimum distance from the pawl and its tail piece, and the pawl has a briefer engagement with the ratchet and the next cutting movement lof the lever feeds or projects thebody to a minimum extent.

Four notches 38 are shown in this instance, so that thelatch bar may be engaged with the detent in four different longitudinal positions, provision being made for cutting slices of four different thicknesses. It is obvious that the number of notches may be varied.

41 designates a cover removably seated on the base 12, and formed to enclose and guide a brick-shaped body on the base. The cover is open at its forward end, to permit the proj ection of the body therefrom preparatory to the slicing operation, the open end of the cover being at the inner side of the path of the cutter-carrying cutter 26, so that the lever is adapted to swing across said open end.

The side of the cover adjacent the feed screw is provided with a longitudinal recess 42 (Figures 2 and 3) through which the presser arm 21 extends, the recess being elongated, so that it permits the necessary movements of the arm and presser. The cover is provided with a handle 41 whereby it may be manipulated. A handle 47 is fixed to theinner journal 15, and enables the operator to manuall rotate the feed screw when the pawl 29lis isengaged from the ratchet, so that when a slice of unusual thickness is desired, the operator may rotate the feed screw by the handle, when the cutter is in the retracted position shown by Figure 5, and thus cause any desired projection of the body from the outer end of the base. To guide the operator in thus projecting the ody, I provide a graduated gaffe bar 43, which is movable to a longitudinal position beside the path of a body on the base, to guide the operator in cutting an unusually thick slice, or in other words, a slice of indeterminate thickness greater than that of the thickest slice which Vmay be cut by the described operation of the machine. The gage bar is preferably pivoted at 44, to one side of the cover 41, and is normally held in a vertical inoperative position against a stop 46, by a spring 45. When the gage bar is to be used, the operator swings it to the dotted line position shown by Figure 2, holds it while rotating the feed screw by the handle 47, and then operates the cutter to sever a thick slice. lVlien the gage bar is released, it is returned by the spring to the vertical position shown by full lines.

A stop 48 is fixed to the base in position to -arrest the cutter-carrying lever in the position shown by Figure 3.

I claim:

1. A slicer of the character stated, comprising incombination a base, a shaft including inner and outer journals rotatable in bearings on the base and an intermediate portion constituting a feed screw, a circular ratchet fixed to the outer journal and concentric therewith, a presser slidable on the base and provided with an arm includin a nut engaged with the feed screw, slicmg means including a cutter-carrying lever pivoted at one end on the outer journal, and a cutter fixed to the lever, said lever and cutter being arranged to swing in a vertical plane across one end of the base, and cause thev cutter to cut a slice from a projected portion of a body on the base,- a pawl pivoted to the cutter-carrying lever and normally engaged'with the ratchet to rotate the ratchet and feed screw, and feed a body on the base when. the lever is moved in a cutting direction, a two-armed tripping lever oscillatable on the outer journal, and having on one arm a tripping shield cooperating with a tail piece on the pawl to disengage the pawl from the ratchet, and a manually operable latch bar pivoted to the other arm of the tripping lever and engageable in different positions with a fixed detent on the base, to vary the position of the shield relative to the path of the pawl, and thereby determine the thickness of a slice severed by the cutter.

2. A slicer as specified oy claim 1, comprising also a cover removably seated on the base, and formed to enclose and guide a brick-shaped body thereon, one side of the Acover having a longitudinal opening in which the presser arm is movable, one end of the cover being open to permit the projection of said body into the pathk of the cutter.

3. A slicer as specified by claim 1, com. prising also a handle fixed to the inner journal, whereby the shaft may be manually rotated to advance the presser when the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet, and thereby permit the slicer to sever a slice of unusual thickness.

4. A slicer as specified by claim 1, comprising also a cover removably seated on the base and formed to enclose and guide a brick-shaped body thereon, a handle fixed to the inner journal whereby the shaft may be manually rotated' to advance the presser when the. pawl is disengaged from the ratchet, and a to the cover adJacent the open end thereof and movable yto a horizontal position beside the path ofla body on the base to guide the operator in cutting an unusually thick slice,

graduated gage bar pivotedf said bar being movable to an inoperative position beside the cover, spring means be- 10 ing provided to normally hold the gage bar in an inoperative ripsition.

In testimony w ereof I have aixed my signature.

JOHN C. TROUVALIS. 

